Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

Spruce up your holiday appetizers with a tasty Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball. not only is it easy but it’s delicious and perfect served with crackers and veggies.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The Marzetti® Brand. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

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RANCH Cheese Ball

Who here loves cheese balls? We love them but usually make them for special occasions or holidays. In fact, they have become one of our go-to appetizers for Thanksgiving and Christmas because everyone loves them.

We like to serve these cheese balls with a variety of items, but recently made a delicious bacon ranch cheese ball made with Marzetti® Veggie Ranch Dip. You can find it in the refrigerator aisle right next to all of the produce. We used about 1/3 cup of the creamy, rich dip to mix into the cheese ball, which added so much flavor!

In addition to the ranch dip, we also added bacon and cheese, cream cheese and spices. The result was a tasty ranch cheese ball that was a hit with everyone!

Easy cheese ball recipe

The best part about this cheese ball is that it literally takes no more than 10-15 minutes to prep. You just throw the ingredients in a bowl, mix them with a hand mixer, form into a ball, roll it around in bacon bits, and let it refrigerate! It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Can I make a cheese ball a day ahead? Definitely! You could even make it a few days in advance. But wait to coat it in bacon bits until the day of, or they might get a little soggy.

How long can a cheese ball sit out? A cheese ball shouldn’t sit out at room temperature any longer than 2 hours. After that, harmful bacteria can start to form.

How long will the cheese ball last in the fridge? It will last as long as the most perishable ingredient, which in this case is probably the bacon (if you use freshly cooked bacon). If you use fresh bacon, 4-5 days is probably safe. If you use packaged bacon bits, however, you could make it last up to a week or so.

Can the cheese ball be frozen? You can freeze the cheeseball (before you coat it in the bacon bits) by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap, and putting it into a freezer bag. It will last in the freezer for up to a month. When you’re ready to use it, let it defrost in the fridge for a day or two before coating it in bacon and serving it.

Best Food to Serve with Cheese Balls

There are so many fun finger foods to serve with cheese balls, but we definitely have our favorites. Some of those include:

Veggies – carrots and celery our top choices

Fruit – pears and apples especially

Mini Bagels

Pretzels

Crackers – of any variety

Pita Chips

Which foods do you like best with your cheese ball?

I think this is our new favorite savory cheese ball by far. If you want to try our favorite dessert cheese ball, you’ve gotta try this sweet and tasty Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball.

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative – from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

I totally love the veggie tree idea! And Marzetti dips are awesome! We usually just eat it as it comes (dunk raw veggies in the dip) but turning it into a cheese ball sounds fun too. Definitely have to give this a try sometime.

WowWee! This veggie tree and cheese ball look amazing! My daughter and I have decided to attempt it on Christmas Eve! As much as we love Marzetti veggie dips, our favorite is their yogurt dip for fruit!